Catch
by Dan Rush
Summary: A simple one with Kenichi Kennedy and Astro practicing baseball after the announcement to allow robots to play little league.


**Catch**

An Astro Boy / Kenichi fan fiction

By Dan Rush

© Astro Boy 2003 SONY PICTURES LMT, Tetsuwan Atom 1954 by Osamu Tezuka. All rights respected. For fan enjoyment, non-monetary gain expected or desired.

9am

Metro City Park Little League playing field

Kenichi: Oh….kay…..try it now.

(Astro winds up and throws)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS….WHAM!

Kenichi: 99 miles per hour.

Astro: That setting was way off.

(Kenichi walks up as Astro pulls his shirt up and allows Ken to open his chest door.)

Kenichi: Why can't we just adjust the throwing power?

Astro: Because there's like a thousand variables you have to do individually. You really want to be here all day?

Kenichi: Let's try…..(beep, beep, beep, beep….beeep) by the way? What do you run on? Microsoft?

Astro: That pile of junk? No way! My programs all original code done by Doctor Tenma. Well...he kinda ripped it off from a Keurig coffee maker. Cafe Mocca?

Kenichi: Hmph….I'm glad they're going to let you play in Babe Ruth this year. Getting them to let robots play was a tooth fight.

Astro: And once again our class president steps up. You should run for Prime Minister.

Kenichi: Try again.

(Astro winds up and throws)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS….Smack!

Kenichi: A little better…..54 miles per hour. The average for a 12 or 13 year old is 45 to 50. Try throwing the next three and see if we got the random speed right.

(Astro winds up and throws)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS….Smack!

Kenichi: 49 miles per hour.

(Astro winds up and throws)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS….Smack!

Kenichi: 52 miles per hour.

(Astro winds up and throws)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS….Smack!

Kenichi: 46 miles per hour. Looks like we're set.

Astro: You sure you don't want a few more just to make sure? After all you're going to be on the receiving end of these pitches.

(Kenichi begins to put on a full catcher's protective gear)

Kenichi: I wouldn't be putting on this stuff if I didn't feel a little worry.

Astro: You….wearing a cup?

Kenichi: I'll be fine. I don't think you're going to aim on purpose.

(Kenichi walks to the plate while Astro plays with a powder bag and palms the baseball)

Kenichi: Let's throw a few light ones so I can get used to all this gear?

Astro: Ok….so….is your mom still needling you over college?

Kenichi: Yeah...I'm a year out from starting Juku class and she's already wigging out.

Astro: You looking for a college yet?

Kenichi: No….uh…..I'm still in Junior High? My priorities are…..good grades, a girlfriend, a car, my own cell phone, my Facebook account and finishing the script to a screenplay about my future life as a guitar playing philosophy hobo in Chiba that will win an oscar and star Justin Beaver...in that order.

Astro: You passed me over?

Kenichi: I don't have horns and you are not Justin Beaver.

Astro: I'm depressed.

Kenichi: What about you though? Are you going to stay in school for like eternity? When me and the others are like over 18, what are you gonna do, revert back to 6th grade?

Astro: No...I'll go to college or find a job. Reno wants me to take on survey and exploration full time after our senior year. I was thinking of going to Mars.

Kenichi: he hates you.

Astro: Not "that" Mars silly. The planet. The whispers I hear at the ministry is I might do a year long expedition. I actually talked to Atlas about it.

Kenichi: You mean Daichi?

Astro: Yeah...he was receptive to it, said getting away from Earth would be a blessing and that someone needed to "keep me grounded"

Kenichi: A year? With you not around, things would get interesting. We could put Zoran in red boots and let her save the world for once.

Astro: On second thought….going to Mars would suck.

Kenichi: Ok….that's enough warm up. Let's start throwing heaters.

Astro: Please tell me that's not literal?

Kenichi: Figure of speech Astro, really?

Astro: I'm still learning all the common human slang Ken, remember last week when Abercrombie said his dog's were tired?

Kenichi: You went looking for his dogs.

Astro: For an hour.

Kenichi: And we let you do it.

Astro: Jerks.

Kenichi: ("boof" punching his catcher's mit) Ok! Fire a fast ball!

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Nice! Right down the pipe!

Astro: Uh?

Kenichi: Another figure of speech. The pipe is the line from the release of the ball to my glove. It's a term for a good strike.

Astro: Ok…..here comes another one.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Woe! That was a little high.

Astro: I didn't hurt your arm? That was 55 Miles per hour.

Kenichi: Just fine...you're tensing up too much, this is a kid's game not the major leagues.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Strike two! Nice throw.

Astro: You know what my dad told me a couple days ago? I can have human girls as friends but I can't have them as "girlfriends"

Kenichi: Oh...seems obviously why.

Astro: Yeah….if they get too attached and suddenly realize I can't grow older...big emotional crash. That would kind of violate the three laws.

Kenichi: Why don't you ask to have a girlfriend made?

Astro: here comes another one.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Was that a slider?

Astro: I put a twist on it….and no, I don't want one made for me. It's not like I'm unhappy or anything but I want a girlfriend the old fashioned way.

Kenichi: Let's see a curve ball.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Oh that was a wicked curve!

Astro: Liked that?

Kenichi: Yeah...but the Babe Ruth organizers might question it.

Astro: I didn't use any tricks, it's just a common curve ball with a back spin.

Kenichi: So you want to have a girlfriend the old fashioned way? I don't see many girl robots at our school though.

Astro: Well the ratio's a little pathetic. At last count it's like two girl robots to every 60 males.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

Astro: Stealing second!

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

(Ken catches the ball, jumps us, rips his mask off and fires a throw an inch from Astro's head! It his a throw-back net on second and comes back to Astro's glove.)

Kenichi: Ka….boom!

Astro: You almost smacked my head.

Kenichi: But that guy was so out...see? You and me, we psync well together don't we?

Astro: I think so. So what about you Ken? Any girls you interested in?"

Kenichi: I don't know. Between studying and more studying and my mom? What's a girl?

Astro: There's no one?

Kenichi: There's Ayasume….and Megumi…..and Aya….and Rhikone….

Astro: You can't have a harum Ken…..get ready.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: I haven't found the right compatible companion yet.

Astro: Someone like your mother?

Kenichi: What?

Astro: Well it's been proven that human males will tend to females who are a lot like their mother. Just saying.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Astro: 56 Miles per hour.

Kenichi: Well I don't want a girl like my mom.

Astro: If you beat the trend? I'll be surprised.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: About what I asked earlier? Like what you'll do when we've graduated high school? Does the fact that all of us are going to grow older while you stay as you are bothering you? I mean with spare parts and upgrades you can live like hundreds of years...at least till man like blows the planet up or the sun turns into a red giant.

Astro: I…...really try to keep that out of my mind.

Kenichi: So it does bother you?

Astro: Of course it does! I mean...there's Doctor O'Shay, Reno, all of you guys from school...yeah it bothers me from time to time. I mean death is a normal part of the human existance.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Do you want to live forever?

Astro: Everyone wants that.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Seriously, do you want too?

Astro: Actually? No. At some point after all your friends are gone and you've done just about everything? I might want to be deactivated.

Kenichi: And what? Be put in a museum?

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Astro: Oh no...I could be a bird bath or…..or…..be launched into space and spend the rest of eternity cruising through the cosmos….you know, do that Carl Sagan thing?

Kenichi: Sorry if I upset you with that.

Astro: Nah….we're all going to have long lives ahead of us, just keep your mind on the ball…..

Stealing second!

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

(Ken catches the ball, jumps us, rips his mask off and fires a throw. This time he hits Astro off the top of the head!)

Kenichi: I'm sorry!

Astro: I'm fine...you didn't have to run up here.

Kenichi: I really nailed you.

Astro: I'm ok Ken….nope…..concussion.

(Astro flops to the ground)

Kenichi: Wise ass.

Astro: Not dramatic enough?

Kenichi: I'll be more careful. I think my timing was way off.

Astro: No...I didn't duck fast enough. You had it.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Kenichi: Hey! Want to come over my house for dinner and a sleep over?

Astro: Your mom won't mind?

Kenichi: I told her you might come. Besides I need a little help on my physics lesson, honest help? I can't get everything off the internet.

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Astro: Sure. I'll call the Doctor and tell him I'm not coming home tonight.

Kenichi: How about a walkies weekend? You up for that too?

Astro: This is a little sudden.

Kenichi: I have a youth hostile card and we could check out Takarazuka near Osaka?

Astro: That's where the famous Takarazuka theater is right?

Kenichi: No silly, that's in Chicago...duh!

(Astro goes into a wind up)

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…..BOOF!

Astro: Ok...I'm up for that. I'll have to fly home and pack a backpack.

Kenichi: Good! I think we're done for now. Come over the house about 5pm?

Astro: Ok...Oh...I bet Mars will be playing Babe Ruth too now. You know he has to match me in everything.

Kenichi: It's going to be a crazy season. So where are you going today?

Astro: Out with Reno for shopping in Hakibara for electronics parts. You wanna come too?

Kenichi: Of course. Give me an hour?

Astro: Sure. See you then Ken. And good throwing today.

Kenichi: Always.

The end


End file.
